Thanks to a multiyear effort, more than 140 acres of forested land in and around the City – including the entire Park Pointe area on Tiger Mountain – was preserved and protected from development on March 24, 2011.

This massive project embodies the City’s longstanding tradition of clustering growth to minimize sprawl and protect large areas of open space.

Years ago, the City identified this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to preserve Park Pointe, which is located on the base of Tiger Mountain near Issaquah High School. Such large-scale preservation fulfills numerous goals engrained in Issaquah’s Comprehensive Plan.

Under the City-initiated WSDOT Development Agreement, new development will not be allowed at Park Pointe. Instead, development will be focused in and around Issaquah Highlands, Port Blakely Communities’ master-planned community, through a transfer of development rights (TDR).

The plan includes several other components, including many new amenities and improvements for the community.

Under the agreement:

About 144 acres are now preserved as permanent open space, including:

101 acres at Park Pointe

43 acres located west of Central Park (commonly called the WSDOT parcel)

The WSDOT parcel’s remaining 35 acres will include:

100 residential units

A 19-acre Bellevue College satellite campus

50 units of affordable housing are now allowed near the satellite campus.

500 additional residential units are now allowed in Issaquah Highlands’ currently-developing town center.

The community will also receive:

About $2 million in transportation improvements, including:

A new traffic signal along Northeast Park Drive at 15th Avenue Northeast.

A new road that will parallel Northeast Park Drive from Central Park west to 15th Avenue Northeast.

Completion of a missing piece of Northeast Discovery Drive located west of Seventh Avenue Northeast.